Don't Give Me That Lip

When it comes to hair and makeup, I am either really dang good at it, or absolutely clueless. There is no in between. Not even Helene... (hah... a little blog humor there.... anyone? no, no one? ok never mind). When I was a little girl, I had many odd career aspirations for a child. Most kids want to be a singer or actress or cowboy or astronaut... I wanted to be a Real-Estate-Agent-Hairdresser. 
I'd like to think that my parents were proud of this career aspiration. I mean, you can't get a more attainable  dream than either of those two professions. When the time comes, and parents are forced to say that age old phrase, "You can be anything you want to be if you set your mind to it" I must have lifted a huge weight off their shoulders. They didn't have to lie, like if I said I wanted to be a super astronaut millionaire cowboy.  Real Estate? Hair? "Pssssssht, get it guuuuuuuuuurl" is probably what they were really thinking.
During basketball season in both Rec League and into High School I was always the one doing the pig tail french braids, the white girl corn rows that only went half way back on your head, those crazy spider web looking designs with a billion of the clear band hair ties and of course I owned more butterfly clips than I could count.
Even to this day, I am a master with the curling iron, blow drier, round brush, curling wand... you name it, I can master it. Need a Drybar blowout better than Drybar can do a Drybar blowout? I'm your girl.  That brings be to an unrelated side note pro tip: always find a naturally curly haired stylist. She will do the best blowout because she will work harder. Mainly because she is used to working harder on her own hair. Girls with naturally straight hair have no clue what to do with me. Especially when I used to have bangs! That was hilarious watching the attempts at styling those suckers.  Crap. Just watch, I'll probably have bangs again by the weekend now that I've planted the bangs seed. RIP bangs, I miss you. Except in July. 

  But there are some things in the beauty department I am not able to do, like at all. First up is curling my hair with a flat iron. Nope. A whole lot of nope. I've watched every video known to man, I can't get it. I am incapable of such a twist of the wrist.  
Second, and the point of this blog post, is choosing a lipstick. Like I mentioned in this post, I just have no idea what I'm looking for. I never wear lipstick, ever. I don't like the glossy look, I prefer the matte color. But it seems like each time I give lipstick shopping a try, everything I pick up is either bland, blahh and doesn't even show up on me...... orrrrrrrr I look like a drag queen. 
There has been one color success, also known as the only night I've ever worn lipstick, which was at Lights All Night. I got the color Cruella Velvet Matte Lip Pencil in a Sephora birthday gift set. I'm not sure if this was meant to be lipstick or a liner (I'm clueless, remember?) but I wore it as a lipstick.

  I felt like I needed to reapply constantly, and I practically wore the thing out in just one evening. $25 for one evening? Yeah... no. There has to be a better option, right?  Below are some looks that I really like, so you can see what I'm going for here. I like a bold red or coral. I feel like if I'm going to go, might as well go all out. I'm hoping you guys can give me some recommendations that are not $25 for one night of wear! 

  // To recap what I'm needing from you (I'm sooo bossy today, I know) // Lipstick suggestions Lots of uses from one tube/pencil Matte only, no gloss Bold is good Smudge proof, stays on, won't rub off easily. I don't want to be fidgeting with it all night Remember I am a very pale brunette

.....annnnnnd go.